Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04017’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘KLEDI04017’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; light orange-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Diascia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEDI04017’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

TITLE: DIASCIA PLANT NAMED ‘KLEDI04015’ APPLICANT: NILS KLEMM TITLE:DIASCIA PLANT NAMED ‘KLEDI04016’ APPLICANT: NILS KLEMM TITLE: DIASCIAPLANT NAMED ‘KLEDI04018’ APPLICANT: NILS KLEMM.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diasciaplant, botanically known as Diascia hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name KLEDI04017.

The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new upright and freely branching Diascias withnumerous attractive flowers, and good garden performance.

The new Diascia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 2003 of an unnamed proprietary seedling of Diascia hybrida, notpatented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary seedling ofDiascia hybrida identified as code number SG 3, not patented, as themale, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plantfrom the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor inNovember, 2003, in an controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since November, 2003, hasshown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar KLEDI04017 have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEDI04017’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEDI04017’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofDiascia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Light orange-colored flowers.    -   3. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in plant form as plants of the new Diascia are more uniformthan plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of the cultivarKLEDI04015, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.11/343,879 filed concurrently; the cultivar KLEDI04016, disclosed in aU.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/343,872 filed concurrently;and the cultivar KLEDI04018, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 11/343,862 filed concurrently, primarily in flowercolor.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the cultivarKiedione, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,564. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of thecultivar Kiedione primarily in plant habit as plants of the cultivarKiedione are more trailing. In addition, plants of the new Diascia andthe cultivar Kiedione differ in flower color as plants of the cultivarKiedione have light pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Diascia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘KLEDI04017’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany, in an outdoornursery during the summer with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to35° C., night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 20° C., and lightlevels about 20,000 lux. Plants were grown for about 6.5 months incontainers and pinched two times. Color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia hybrida cultivar KLEDI04017.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling of Diascia            hybrida, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia hybrida            identified as code number SG 3, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 days at 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 days            at 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 17 days            at 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading to            eventually semi-trailing plant habit. Freely branching with            about 50 lateral branches forming per plant. Moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 40 cm to 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 20 cm to 30 cm.            Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to            3.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Width: About 1 cm to 1.3 cm.            Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Truncate. Margin: Serrate.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and            fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147A.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 138C;            venation, 147A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary zygomorphic flowers arranged            on terminal racemes. Five modified petals fused at base.            Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright, outwardly to            dropping.        -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; typically about 35 to 40 flower            buds and flowers per lateral branch.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            spring through the summer in Germany.        -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about ten weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 5 cm to 10 cm. Width:            About 3 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Depth: About 2            cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About 2            mm to 3 mm. Shape: Rounded ovoid. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five modified petals fused at            base. Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 1 cm to            1.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 33C; towards            the base, 61A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            33D; towards the base, 61A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 3 mm to 4 mm.            Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Width: About 1 mm.            Angle: Mostly erect, bending with the weight of the flowers.            Strength: Weak. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About            four. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 1 mm.            Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen            color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Style length: About 1 mm.            Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma color: Light green. Seeds:            Length: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to            1 mm. Color: Brown.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Diascia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. and have    good garden performance.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04017’, asillustrated and described.